Resilient vehicle wheel



May Z0, 1930. w. E. LACEY .RESILIENT VEHICLE WHEELv Filed June 17, 1929 INVENTOR T/l/ E.Lace.g

@.gmm

ATTORNEY Patented Ma 2o, 1930 .UNITED STATES WILBUR E. LACEY, OF

ISLTON, CALIFORNIA REsILIEN'r vnirrcLE' WHEEL` Application filed `TuneY 17,

5 tween the hub and the rim or felly band of the wheel are so arranged that the hub is cushion mounted relative to the felly, thus absorbing the majority of the severe shocks and vibrations incident to travel and thus making the vehicle easier riding.

A further object is to arrange such connections so that a sudden torque applied to the axle (if the wheel is a driven one), as whenfstarting the vehicle, will be vmore or less absorbed or counteracted before reaching the rim and tire, thus lessening the strains on the latter and increasing the life of the same.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangementof parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of a wheel partly in section showing my improved cushion mounting and spoke arrangement.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side section showing a modified spoke arrangement'.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and

particularly at present to Figs. 1 and 2, the

numeral l denotes the tire-rim engaging band or felly of the wheel which is of common form but which has continuous annular and inwardly projecting flanges '2 along its opposite edges. The hub 3 has outwardly projecting annular flanges 4 on its opposite sides spaced transversely apart the ysame as the fianges 2.

The spokes` 5 of the'wheel are in the form of fiat spring strips of considerable strength disposed so that their major widths lie transversely of the wheel, and which extend from the hub to which they are secured at one end toward but terminating short of the band l. Toward their outer ends these spokes pass between and are engaged on their wide faces 1929. seriarNo. 371,376.

by rollers 6, which are mounted in hollow housings 7 extending to and secured tothe band lf and into'which the Aspokes vslidably project. The ends or transversely disposed sides' of the housings are closed in and form guides for the adj ace'nt'portions of the spokes which fit closely between such ends.

The space between the spokes for thefull ffPATEN'n OFFICE distance between the 'hub and felly band and i for the full width between the hub and band flanges Visfilled with resilientfrubber 8 of suitable character. l'Ihisrubber also covers vthe transversely disposed yedges .of the spokes from the hub to the housings,since said spokes arevv narrower lthan .theV width between, 4'said flanges, as shown in Fig. 2. f As a result of this const-ruction it will 'be seen that the load is taken by the rubberfiller instead of'by the spokeswhich freely slide in the Ahousings and merely-y float. The resistance Aof the rubber against compression is such that while the hub is normally centered with the band a sudden vertical shock willA cause the hub `to move vertically relativetothe band, ythis'actiontakT ingy place without any binding or breaking strains being thrown on the spokes due to the flexibility ofthe same in 'the .circumferential plane -of the wheel and to the swivel and slidfv able Amountingforthe outer ends ofthe same. i The -spring being only yieldable-in the eir-V Vcumferential plane of the wheel and being rigid transversely of thewheel, and being snugly fitted between the sides of the vhousings there can be no lateral movement of the hub relative `to the "band l, such as would cause these parts to be thrown out of proper alinement with each other.

Also due to such resiliency of the. spring' a sudden rotative torque or strain applied to the hub causes the .flexing of the springs before such rotative strains are imparted to the band, thus reducing the placing of such sudden strains directly on the band and tire mounted thereon. At the same time undue fiexing of the spring such as would tend to prevent the proper rotative effort being im'- parted to the band is prevented by the rubber filler in which the major portions of the spokes are embedded and which ,of course must be compressed when' the springs flex.

In the type of structure illustrated in Fig. Y

3 the spokes 5l are rigid but are flexibly mounted at one end inthe hub 3a and similarlyat the other end in connection With the band 18L as by means of transversely extending pins 9 fixed in connection With said band j and projecting through longitudinal slots 10.

Each spoke is closely surrounded fromend to end by a substantially cylindrical' resilient rubber housing 11 which at its ends is secured in cups 12 provided in the hub and band.v

The spokes terminate short of the band as before soVV that the adjacent portion ofthe rubber housing'can flex `to a certain extent circumferentially of the Wheel as the relative movement ofthe huband band ymay necessitate,- This/ arrangement therefore gives substantially the same results as Will'be hadwith thefirst described type but the amount of load carrying rubber being naturally considerably less in this latter type, it is only par ticularly adapted for use on Very lightjve- V hicles.VV Y n y ,Fromr'the foregoing description it Willfbe readily seen thatI have produced such `a device 4as substantiall fulfills theobjects` of the inventionas set orth herein.

'i `VVhile this specification sets Vforthlin detail the present and preferred Vconstru'ctionof the d ev1ce,still inpracticesuch deviations from detailk may be resorted `to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the. appended claim.

Havingrthus described my invention what I claim 'as new and useful and desire to se-` cure by Letters Patent is: i Y f A resilient Vehicle wheel comprising a hub, a felly band, spokes flexibly mounted in the hub andprojectin toward but not reaching the band, said spo es being resilientonly in the circumferential plane of thewheel, housings projectinginwardly from and rigid with the band and into 'which the free ends yof the `spokes slidably project, a single pair of opposed rollers mounted inthe housings 'and engaging the opposed facesof the spokes, and

Y resilient rubber extending unbrokenbetween the liub and band between the spokes.

In testimony whereof IY aiix my signature.

` WILBUR E. LACEY. 

